How to See What Your Boyfriend Likes on Instagram in 2026 (Honest Guide)

You cannot see what your boyfriend likes on Instagram. Instagram removed the Following Activity tab in 2019, which was the only way to see other people's likes. No app or tool can show you someone else's like activity. However, you CAN track who he follows and unfollows in real time, which often reveals more about his interests and connections than individual likes would.

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Why You Cannot See His Likes

Instagram's "Following" tab used to show a real-time feed of everything your friends did, including every post they liked, every comment they left, and every account they followed. It was essentially a surveillance feed, and it caused enormous relationship drama.

Instagram removed it in October 2019 specifically because of the social harm it was causing. People were catching partners liking suggestive photos, discovering secret interests, and having fights over innocent interactions taken out of context.

Since 2019, there is no way to see what someone else likes on Instagram. The data is not exposed through any API, and no legitimate third-party tool can access it.

Apps That Claim to Show Likes Are Scams

If you search for "see my boyfriend's Instagram likes," you will find many apps and websites promising exactly that. Every single one is a scam. Here is what they actually do:

• Steal Instagram credentials: They ask for your login, then use it to access your account (not his)
• Install tracking malware: Some apps install spyware on your device
• Charge for fake results: They take your money and show fabricated data
• Harvest personal data: They collect your information to sell to advertisers

Do not install these apps or enter your Instagram password into any third-party service.

What You CAN Actually See

While likes are hidden, significant activity remains publicly visible:

1. Who He Follows and Unfollows (Most Revealing)

Following someone is a much stronger signal than liking a post. A like takes half a second and is often mindless scrolling. Following someone is a deliberate decision to see their content regularly.

You can track his follow activity in real time:

• Who he recently followed (new interests, new connections)
• Who he unfollowed (falling out, cleaning up his profile)
• Patterns in who he follows (types of accounts, timing)

Use Lurk to track his follows anonymously. Enter his username and get alerts whenever he follows or unfollows someone.

2. His Comments on Public Posts

While you cannot see his likes, you can see his comments on public posts. If you know accounts he interacts with, you can check their posts for his comments. Comments are public and visible to anyone.

3. His Tagged Photos

Visit his profile and tap the tagged tab to see every photo he has been tagged in. This shows where he has been, who he has been with, and what he has been doing.

4. His Followers and Following List

You can always see who he follows by visiting his profile (assuming his account is public). While the list is not sorted chronologically, tools like Lurk track changes over time to show you what is new.

Why Follow Tracking Tells You More Than Likes

Consider the difference:

A like means: He scrolled past a photo and double-tapped. Maybe he found it funny. Maybe he was supporting a friend. Maybe it was muscle memory. Likes are low-signal actions.

A follow means: He actively searched for or found this person and decided he wants their content in his feed every day. He is comfortable with his followers seeing that he follows this person. It is a public statement of ongoing interest.

An unfollow means: He made a conscious decision to remove this person from his daily feed. Something changed: lost interest, had a falling out, or wants to distance himself.

For understanding what follow patterns mean in relationships, read our detailed post on Instagram red flags for cheating.

How to Track His Follows Anonymously

If you decide to monitor his follow activity, here is how to do it without him knowing:

On the Web

1. Go to getlurk.app
2. Enter his Instagram username
3. See his recent follows and unfollows instantly
4. Subscribe for ongoing alerts

On Mobile

1. Download Lurk from the App Store or Google Play
2. Add his username
3. Enable push notifications
4. Get a notification the moment he follows someone new

Lurk never interacts with his account. He will never receive any notification or indication that he is being monitored. It reads publicly available data the same way anyone could by visiting his profile.

A Word About Relationship Trust

Before diving into Instagram monitoring, consider this honestly:

If you feel the need to monitor your partner's Instagram activity, the underlying issue is usually trust, not Instagram. Social media tracking can provide temporary reassurance, but it does not address the root cause of the anxiety.

Things to consider:

• Has something specific happened to create suspicion, or is this general anxiety?
• Would you feel comfortable if he was monitoring your Instagram the same way?
• Have you communicated your feelings directly?
• Would couples counseling be more productive than social media surveillance?

For more perspective on social media and relationships, read our post on whether following someone on Instagram is cheating.

Red Flags vs. Normal Behavior

If you are monitoring his activity, it helps to know what is normal:

Normal behavior:

• Following friends, family, brands, and interest-based accounts
• Occasional follows of new accounts in his interest areas
• Unfollowing accounts that post too much or are no longer relevant

Potential red flags:

• Following and then quickly unfollowing many accounts (may indicate he is trying to hide activity)
• Following accounts that are inconsistent with his stated interests
• Sudden changes in follow patterns (especially late at night)
• Following accounts with very few followers that share his location

For a complete breakdown, read our Instagram red flags guide.

The Bottom Line

You cannot see what your boyfriend likes on Instagram, and any app claiming otherwise is a scam. What you CAN see is who he follows and unfollows, which is a stronger indicator of interest and connection than likes ever were. If you decide to track this activity, Lurk does it anonymously and in real time. But also consider whether direct communication might be more effective than social media monitoring for addressing the underlying concern.